Full absorption of dietary cholesterol into the bloodstream is dependent upon cholesterol esterase (cholesterol ester hydrolase; CEH) activity [Bhat et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 109 486 (1982); Gallo et al., J. Lipid Research 25 604 (1984)]. The removal of cholesterol esterase from pancreatic juice results in an eighty percent reduction in absorbed cholesterol. By inhibiting the action of cholesterol esterase, serum cholesterol levels can be beneficially controlled.
Hosie et al., J. Biological Chem. 262 260 (1987) discusses the irreversible inhibition of cholesterol esterase by p-nitrophenyl N-alkyl carbamates and the reversible inhibition of cholesterol esterase by cholesterol-N-alkyl carbamates.